Tyler Sharpe: Now on scholarship and one of NKU's prized assets

NKU lost 78-65 to UC on Tuesday night at Fifth Third Arena.
Charlie Hatch, Cincinnati

Northern Kentucky Norse guard Tyler Sharpe (15) reacts after making a 3-pointer in the first half of an NCAA college basketball against the Cincinnati Bearcats, Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018, at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati. (Photo: Kareem Elgazzar)

Before the 13-point loss at Cincinnati on Tuesday night, Northern Kentucky shooting guard Tyler Sharpe said he's never played with more confidence.

Recent games attest to that.

Against the Bearcats, Sharpe dove for loose balls, hauled in rebounds among the bigs and attempted deep 3-pointers. In 30 minutes, he scored a team-high 16 points on 4 of 7 3-point shooting.

"He's been playing well," NKU head coach John Brannen said after the loss. "The game was over at the point he was making 3's at the end, but I thought Tyler's been a guy who's consistently been good for us and played extremely hard. ...Tyler's not a guy you have to worry about his effort."

Sharpe is averaging 13.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists in 28.5 minutes through NKU’s first 10 games this season. Compared to last season (6.7 points, 1.1 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 14.8 minutes), the numbers suggest Sharpe is almost a different player.

Perhaps that’s a reason. Confidence is at an all-time high, he said.

“I would say so just as far as all around,” Sharpe said last week about if this is the best basketball he's ever played. “I feel like I’ve added things to my game that I haven’t had in the past.”

He’s also added more minutes, a bigger role and a scholarship to his name in 2018-19.

Last season, Sharpe was a walk-on who started as a 3-point specialist and became a key defensive player. The year before, he walked on at Louisville and played 11 minutes in seven games. Five minutes against Pittsburgh was a season-high in 2016-17.

Once he got to NKU, he was still a walk-on, but worked his way into the lineup behind Lavone Holland II and Jalen Tate. When Carson Williams transferred to Western Kentucky, Sharpe received the available scholarship. He's currently second behind Drew McDonald in minutes player this season.

Now, he’s become one of the best Northern Kentucky players on a nightly basis. He looks comfortable shooting and fights for loose balls. The Bullitt East-product went from receiving no Division I offers into becoming a true asset the Norse need.

In the last five games, Sharpe is shooting 50 percent on 3-point attempts. Overall this season, he’s shooting 40.6 percent.

“Early in the season I was struggling with my shot a little, but…I felt like I’m playing really well. It was just one thing missing.”

“It was hard not getting frustrated because that’s what’s been my thing my whole life: My shot," he continued after the win against the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
"So, to start to see it all come together and my shots start to fall along with the other things I’m working on, it feels really good and my confidence, I would say, is at an all-time high right now.”

For the Norse, hopefully Sharpe’s confidence and value are sustained moving forward. The scholarship and trust in him making plays is clearly successful to date.